Montana State University will host Opera Montana for a performance and discussion of its Ragtime musical on Tuesday, January 20th, in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The event will take place from 1–4pm in MSU’s Strand Union Building, Ballroom A, with light refreshments included. It is free and open to the public, sponsored by Access and Success at MSU. Registration is not required.
Attendees will listen to select songs from Opera Montana’s Ragtime, an award-winning production following three families in pursuit of the American dream in early 20th century New York. After the performance, artistic director Michael Sakir and principal artists Kateena Bell and Jim Williams will discuss how the musical’s themes of identity, belonging and social change connect to the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., whose leadership and activism were central to the Civil Rights Movement during the 1950s and ’60s.
“Dr. King showed us that social change exists beyond theory and conceptual conversations,” said Sophia Bielsky, director of MSU’s Student Commons. “It is a practice rooted in our daily lives and shared stories, and Ragtime embodies that legacy.” •
